Washing-machine



B. S. McCUTCHEN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-8,1919.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Jim/era 50/.

Q Ilium 3mm MAMM- B. S. McCUTCHEN.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATlON FILED SEPT-8,1919.

1,358,168. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' BBUNSON S. MGCUTCHEN, F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

WASHING-MACHINE.

' To all whom itmay concern Be it known that I, BRUNSON S;

Gtrr'cnnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing atPlainfield, in the county of Somerset-and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to washing machines and it may besaid to bethe printransmitting and control means for permitting of rotat1on of thedrum in a given direction for variable predetermined periods of time andthen causing reversal of said drum in its direction of rotation wherebyto produce oscillation of the same.

Another and equally important object of the invention. resides in theprovision of a machine of the character mentioned with a view t0compactness and in which the number of parts are few, the constructionsimale tiexlcy and operation high.

"Other objects will be in part'obvious in part pointed out hereinafterlIn order that the invention and its manher of application may be readilyunderstood by those' skilled in the art, I have in the accompanyingillustrative drawings and in the following detailed description basedthereon, set out a preferred embodiment of and ' the same.

In these'drawings Figure 1 is a vertical transverse secti th ough mylmproved machin Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section tion;

, Specification of Letters Patent.

thecost of production small, and eifi- Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed September 8,1519. Serial No. 322,275.

- ;-,Fig. 5 is a detail in side elevation of the control valve;

F1g. 6 is a side elevation of one of the pick-up rings;

Fig. 7 is an end-elevation of the same, and

Fig. is a fragmentary enlarged detail in section illustrating theforming of the buckets or abutments on the periphery of the drum.

' Having more particular reference to the drawings and in which likereference characters will designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, 1 indicates the circular housing of my improved washingmachine which may be supported by a suit able frame 2, having an openingin one portion of its periphery normally closed by a door 3, hinged tothe housing at 4 and car- "rying'a knot or handle 5 on the free portionthereof for an obvious purpose.

Arranged on the inner sides of the opposite side walls of the housingconcentrically thereof are bearings 6 receiving the opposite ends ofstub shafts 7 therein, said shafts being concentrically upon a circularrotatable drum 8 adapted to receive andagitate the clothes or othermatter to be washed. This drum 8 is formed with an opening in oneportion of its peripheral surface having a hinged dpor or closure 9normally arranged therein. Spaced peripherally disposed series ofopenings 10 are also formed in the drum 8 and receive thereover bands 11and 12, preferably of metal, from which buckets or abutments 13, arcuatein cross section, are struck, the openings formed by the striking of thebuckets or abutments, alining with the several series of openings andthereby providing for the entrance of the washing fluid into and throughsaid drum 8. In this connection, however, it

should be noted that the buckets on the metal band 11 are arrangedreversely to the buckets on the metal band 12, thus, permitting ofengagement of fluid therewith for causing reverse rotation of the drum8.

As means for efiecting circulation of the I washing fluid through themachine and cansmg its discharge onto the bucketed peripheral surface ofthe drum 8 with sufficient force to impart rotary motion thereto, arotary or other suitable design of pump 13 is secured to the undersideof the bottom of the housing 1 by a bracket 14 and has the inlet conduit15 thereof leading into the lower portion of said housing as shown insired, the washing termined directions, course placed under 'tipl'e wayvalve 22 at loosely mounted the Fig. 1 while the outlet or dischargeconduit 16 thereof having a suitable valve 16 interposed therein isextended upwardly therefrom through an opening in said housing bottomand upwardly along one side wall thereof to a point in proximity to theadjacent bearing 6, whercat it is connected to tie casing 17 of amultiple way valve hereinafter more fully described. This pump 13 mayreceive power from a motor (not shown) through the medium of beltgearing engaged with the pulley wheel 18 mounted on the rotor shaft ofsaid pump. A drain hose 18 is also tapped into the conduit 16 and isprovided with a valve 18 preferably arranged in proximity to itsconnection with said conduit whereby when defluid can be drained fromthe machine.

To carry the washing fluid from the con duit 16 for discharge onto thebucketed periphery of the drum, I provide branch conduits l9 and 20engaging nozzles 21 with the free ends thereof which nozzles aredisposed in opposite directions so as to effect delivery of washingfluid into engagement with the buckets or abutments 13 for impartingrotary motion to the drum in predesuch fluid being, of sufiicientpressure by the force pump 13. Passage of the washing fluid first intoone branch, conduit and then into the other is controlled by means of anoscillatable two way valve 22 mounted in the casing 17 carrying anactuating trip 23 thereon provided with oppositely disposed fingers 23and 23*, movement of'said trip being aided under influence of a coiledspring 24 connected at one end to the casing 17 and at its other end tothe trip at a point beyond the mounting of the same in order that saidtrip will be pulled or rather snapped from one position to another whenmoved beyond center. To limit movement of the trip, stops 25 are engagedwith the casing 17 shown in Fig. 5.

Having described means for imparting motion to the drum of my improvedwashing machine, it now becomes necessary to provide means forcontrolling the motion of the drum through operation of themulpredetermined intervals. To this end, there is fixedly mounted onthat stub shaft 7 in valve a pick up or collector ring 26 havingtransverse finger 27 on its peripheral portion. Other pick-up orcollector rings 28 are on the shaft adja'cent the ring 26, and carryfingers 29 on their peripheral portions, each of said fingers 27 and 29being adapted to engage in sequential order the adjacent portion of thefinger on the following ring, so that when the shaft has rotated for apredetermined number of revolutions connection between the same andproximity to said one finger on the trip 23 will be effected, the fingeron the last ring having direct engagement with the fingers 23 or 23 ofthe trip.

Operation of my washing machine may be reviewed as follows: lVashingfluid, such as soapy water or the like is poured into the housing 1whereupon the pump 13 is started, causing said fluid to be drawn fromthe bottom of the housing and discharged under pressure into the conduit16. The valve 22 is now in position shown in Fig. 5 and thus,

the washing fluid will be discharged into the conduit 19 and then ontothe buckets 13 on the band 11 through the discharge nozzle 21, causingrotation of the drum in a counter-clockwise direction. During rotationof the drum, the pick-up rings will be rotated and connected insequential order until the finger 29 on the last pickup ring engages andmoves the finger 23 thereby shifting the trip 23 with the aid of thespring 24 to a position whereat communication between the conduits 16and 20 is established; the flow of fluid to the conduit 19 beingdiscontinued. By discharging fluid into the conduit 20, and thence ontothe buckets 13 on the band 12, the drum will be reversed in and causedto rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. Operation of the pick-uprings, hereinbefore described is continued thus, effecting reversal ofthe valve 22 through the trip 23 and in consequence, reversing therotation of the drum 8. At the completion of a washing operation, theWashing fluid may be removed from the housing 1, by closing the valve 16and opening the valve 18 in the hose 18, thereby causing functioning ofthe pump to remove said fluid.

Since'the pump 13 velocity (1725 R. P. M.) it will be appreciated thatthe soap suds will be thoroughly agitatedand will thus, improve thewashing qualities of the machine. Furthermore, due to the elimination ofall forms of gearing in the means for reversing motion of the drum 8,the imparting of all shock or stress to the various parts of the-machinewill be prevented, since the action of the washing fluid on the bucketedperiphery of the drum is such as will cause gradual but positive changein the motion of the drum;

If desired, the washing fluid discharged from the pump 13 can be carriedthrough a suitable heater (not shown) interposed in the conduits .19 and20, and in this manner, maintain said fluid at a temperature which willfacilitate washing.

Also by varying the number of pick-up rings 26 on the shaft 7, the drumScan be caused to rotate for variable periods of time before beingreversed, such as conditions or preference may dictate.

its rotary motion is operated at a high claims, I consider Within thespirit of my invention. I

What I claim is:

1. A Washing machine comprising a casing having bearings therein, a drumhaving stub shafts freely mounted in said bearings, said drum having abucketed periphery, means for circulating fluid in the machine anddischarging the same'onto said drum, a multiple Way valve interposed insaid discharging means for effecting delivery of fluid onto the bucketedperiphery in opposite directions, and means on one of said stub shaftsengaging said valve for operating the same.

2. An apparatus for Washing clothes comprising a horizontally pivoteddrum for receiving said clothes, means for circulating Water throughsaid drum, inlets for said Water in nozzle form, peripheral buckets onsaid drum in the path of said nozzles to effeet the rotation of saiddrum by said circulation, and means for reversing the direction of flowof said Water relative to the axis of said drum,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BBUNSON S. MCCUTCHEN. Witnesses HAROLD McCoon, VIOLA V. CRE UI').

